John Cabot was Giovanni Caboto,
because he was from Genoa, Italy. He later received Venetian
citizenship.
About John Cabot
John Cabot was a skilled navigator and
explorer. So much so, that on March 5, 1496, English King Henry
VII equipped him with all necessary paperwork to discover
unknown lands. King Henry of course expected him also to bring back to England merchandise and riches.
John knew there was a decent commission
in this and off he went, looking to find a new trade route to Asia,
which would give him the edge in the trading of gold, gems, and spices.
John Cabot's main voyages across the
North Atlantic took place in 1497 and 1498.
John Cabot's
First Voyage
On June 24, 1497, John saw land. It wasn't Asia, but Newfoundland,
today's Canada. John Cabot stuck a British and a Venetian flag into
the soil and traveled back home to announce that there was a
continent missing on the maps.
John Cabot's Second Voyage
In 1498, John Cabot had been equipped with five ships, 200 men, and the
mission to travel to Japan. Shortly after setting sail, one of the
ships turned up in Ireland, the other four, including Cabot, were
gone.
What exactly happened?
One version is that the fleet had been
hit by a severe storm.
John Cabot's
Importance in History
John Cabot's mounting of the British flag was one of the main
foundations for the future British claims on the American continent.
And if Cabot's story reminds you of
Christopher Columbus, you
are not mistaken. Columbus, too, was from Genoa, Italy. He was born a
year later than Cabot, in 1451, and just like Cabot, Columbus distributed
foreign flags on foreign continents.
And here is the map
North
America - Discovery
